Sonic the Hedgehog 2014
by Persephone Oswald Oleesen
Summary: In the year of 2014, Sonic and his friends will come together to face their strongest enemy yet. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE.
1. Ambience

Title: Sonic the Hedgehog 2014

Universe: Game

Genre: Adventure/Friendship

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Multiple

Summary: In the year of 2014, Sonic and his friends will come together to face their strongest enemy yet.

Description: This story is set eight years after the Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 game. It's a little bit about adventure, a little bit about friendship, a little bit about love, but mostly it's about the characters. I suppose you could call it a character study of many of the in-game Sonic the Hedgehog characters. As far as plotline the story is still pretty sketchy, but this fiction will be mostly character-driven. There will be an enemy, and yes, I will do my best to make him/her/it as epic as possible. Just know that as of 11/5/2010 at 1 in the morning, there is not even a design for an enemy. But please, read this story. I will try my best to keep everyone in character, but I'm not perfect-I will need feedback to help me do this. I believe this story is enjoyable, so even if no one else on this planet reads and reviews it I'll know it's good. Still, a little positive criticism can help anyone improve their style. And with that I will leave you to decide what to do with this story. I will try to have a new chapter up at least every week. College life is busy.

Disclaimer: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. In other words, I own nothing but the storyline and any original characters.

* * *

Chapter One: Ambience

* * *

The sky was a neverending blackness broken only by the gazillions of winking stars, some yellow, some blue, all much too far away to travel to. Dark chunks of rock roamed the skies aimlessly, looking for a planet to rest on and finding none of the ones in this galaxy worthy. One such rock approximately the size of a school bus floated past the tiny spaceship's front, seemingly challenging him with its girth.

"My God," Sonic the Hedgehog breathed, watching the huge boulder glide away from his ship, his heart pounding in his ears. He realized his forehead was dotted with sweat and absently wiped at it with the back of his gloved hand. If he'd collided with that rock, his ship would have been totaled. Not only that, but if he would have survived the crash he'd be stuck in deep space with no communicator. He'd die up here, and no one would know. The thought terrified him while at the same time the proximity with danger excited him. It had been a long time since he'd had to save the world, and he supposed his recent adventures in space were meant to supplement the lack of life or death situations.

"If only you had seen that shit, Tails."

* * *

It was another week before Sonic was able to make it back to Mobius, and by the time he landed the spaceship on the runway in front of Tails' Mystic Ruins shop he was ready to run. When he first hopped out of the cockpit he stumbled slightly; sitting around in deep space had a weakening effect on the muscles, and even though he'd constantly worked out in space it hadn't helped his muscle degeneration much. After stretching and doing a series of warm ups, Sonic began his favorite pastime. He sped down the ramp from Tails' workshop and sprinted toward the waterfall. Increasing his speed, he was able to run along the surface of the water and back up the side of the mountain.

_Finally,_ he thought gleefully, enjoying the actively pumping sensation of his legs, the dull ache in his thighs, and the rapid beat of his heart. This was what he'd been made for, his life's ambition. He raced toward the railroad, where a train was beginning its journey back to Station Square. Grinning, he ignored the protests of the station supervisor and hopped onto the tracks, easily matching the train's speed as it puffed through the long dark mountain tunnel. When he got tired of waiting for the train to speed up he quickened his pace and promptly left the train in his dust.

He reached the train station half an hour before the train would. Launching himself off the tracks he skidded to a stop in the center of the crowd waiting for the train. The people, initially startled by his sudden appearance promptly erupted into cheers.

This _was_ Sonic the Hedgehog, after all. The savior of the world, a national hero.

Fans of every shape and size converged on him, holding out books and video games and notebook paper, all wanting his autograph. One woman even offered her forearm, eagerly holding a permanent marker in his direction. He signed about seven autographs before his right leg began to trounce, signaling that his body's never ending appetite for movement was calling. He tried to politely push through the crowd at first, but when he realized they had no intention of letting him go he leapt easily over their heads, sliding on the stair guardrail down to the lower level of the station. The people groaned but then broke out into cheers when he turned back and waved to them. He strode out of the station and down the front steps with a huge grin on his face, soaking up the applause like a sponge. Being in outer space for four months really made a guy miss the limelight.

He zipped across the city to Tails' apartment, located right next to the police station. Arriving at the yellow door, Sonic knocked twice and rang the doorbell three times, his leg shouting his impatience with its constant bouncing. After another bout of pushing the doorbell Sonic tried the doorknob and realized with a grin that it was unlocked. While his conscience noted quietly that what he was doing was technically illegal, Sonic advanced into the small apartment, kicking the door shut behind him. "Hey, Tails! You home?"

From the kitchen came the sound of glass shattering and a high-pitched squeal, and Sonic winced as he realized he'd probably get a lecture for just walking in. Scratching the back of his head as he walked through the front hall toward the kitchen, Sonic called, "Sorry about that, Tails. I just got back and I wasn't sure if you were here or not, so I—"

"Hello?"

Sonic's head snapped up as a voice that was distinctly not-Tails addressed him. Standing in the doorway between the hall and the kitchen was someone who he hadn't seen in nearly ten years. Certain major things had changed about her—she wasn't as short as she had been, and her hair had grown as well as—Sonic gulped at this—her breasts, but the bright green eyes that stared back at him were exactly the same as he'd remembered.

"Amy?"

Sonic stiffened as he prepared himself for the inevitable; Amy Rose would squeal his name and launch herself at him, hugging him to her with her incredibly strong arms and spouting something random about her love returning to her. At any other time he would try to dodge her grip but he decided he'd let her hug him as long as she wanted to today. After all, they hadn't heard anything from her since she'd ridden the train out of their lives eight years ago. One hug every eight years was good enough for him.

Except Amy didn't do any of those things. She simply stood in the entryway to the kitchen, staring at him with an expression that looked unfamiliar on her face. It was halfway between a wide-eyed look of confusion and a glare, her head cocked slightly to the right. After a few seconds of their staring match Sonic got uncomfortable and looked up at the ceiling, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look," he began, unsure of what to say. What did you say when you're self-proclaimed girlfriend gives you a 'look'? "I don't know why you're looking at me like that. You're the one who ran off all those years ago, so if anyone has a right to wear an expression like that it's me. God, Amy, it's not like you've never seen me before."

Something clicked in his brain, and Sonic's head snapped back down as he inhaled sharply. His neck was beginning to ache from all this snapping, but he didn't notice as his mind put two and two together. Amy's expression wasn't one of anger or sadness or even disgust—it was one of pure ignorance. She _was_ looking at him like she'd never seen him before. Which meant—

"Sonic!"

Tails emerged from the bedroom and hurried up the hallway toward them, a grave look on his face as he glanced back and forth between his best friend and Amy. Sonic's heart beat painfully in his chest as he stared at Tails, hoping it was just a mistake. He supposed he had changed a little over the eight years Amy had been gone—his quills definitely were longer, he was taller and he swore his cobalt blue fur had darkened a few shades over time—and maybe she just hadn't recognized him. Now that Tails had said his name maybe she would suddenly realize how foolish she'd been and turn back to him, her old smile on her face as she greeted him warmly.

Yet she was still looking at Sonic with that distrustful expression, and for the first time Sonic felt anger flare up inside him. If she hadn't decided to go travel the world to "find herself" this wouldn't have happened. What the hell kind of friend disappears for eight years and never calls home to tell the people she loves that she's alright?

_A friend who doesn't remember the people she loves._

With that last thought Sonic tore his gaze away from Amy's hurtful expression and glared at Tails. "Tell me this isn't true, Tails," he begged, angry at himself for sounding so desperate.

Tails glanced at Amy, the heartache Sonic was feeling evident on his own face. "I don't know when it happened. She doesn't have any prominent lacerations on her skull, which means that either it wasn't hard enough to break the skin or it happened quite a long time ago. Several years." His voice broke on the last word, and he bit his lip and lowered his head shamefully.

The silence in the apartment was deafening. Breathing hard, Sonic looked everywhichway, avoiding Tails' downcast face and Amy's ugly alien expression. He wanted to run and knew it was impossible; he wasn't sixteen anymore. He couldn't escape his problems like he used to. With no other way to vent his emotions he cried out and punched the wall with his left fist, leaving a dent in the yellow wallpaper. All of a sudden the emotional escape the spaceship provided seemed extremely attractive to Sonic.

_

* * *

_

Something's coming.

He didn't know how it was coming or when it would arrive or where it was coming from. The only thing the ebony hedgehog knew for sure was that something was headed for Mobius, and it wasn't friendly. His crimson eyes bore into the inky blackness of the space sky, searching the depths of the galaxy outside the space station's bay window for some kind of hint. Of course, his efforts went unrewarded and he sighed, bearing the wait with a practiced patience. When you were immortal you either had to be patient or run around like a fool. Like the Faker.

Shadow the Hedgehog smirked at the thought of his idiotic rival. He would never be able to endure immortality. He'd go stir crazy after a week. The Faker enjoyed change too much, and when you had eternity to look forward to you couldn't really notice the small changes. In two thousand years he figured he'd be able to notice a few things, like how Death Mountain had gotten taller or how the barren ground on which the decimated Central City used to stand was finally growing healthy grass.

Shadow sighed again. He would stand tall against anything that threatened Mobius or her people and would protect the planet until it died of natural causes. Until then, he was doomed to a life of solitude and inertia.

"Shadow! What are you doing? I've been calling you for ten minutes! I've got your supplies."

The black hedgehog turned. Behind him stood Rouge, haughtily glaring at him with one eyebrow arched, her left boot tapping out a monotonous beat on the cool metal floor. Her cool green eyes assessed him impassively and Shadow felt a rare spark of amusement alight inside him. He allowed the feeling to show on his face, a lopsided grin that was so unlike him and walked toward her. "If you really wanted me you know where to find me. I'm always here."

Rouge huffed, flapping her indigo wings impatiently as she glared at him. "And YOU know that it's rude to keep a lady waiting! Besides, I brought you your miracle medicine ingredients. Don't you think that's worth at least a measly 'thank you'?"

Shadow stared at her for a moment longer before striding past her. Before he left the control room he muttered "yeah, thanks" in her direction. Rouge, hearing the sarcasm in his voice, rolled her eyes and flipped him the bird even though he was out of the room. A short bark of laughter from the corridor told her he knew what she'd done, and she laughed under her breath before following him out of the lab. While Shadow was by nature a creature of negativity and brooding, he figured a little humor here and there would help him survive his unnaturally long life, and Rouge was the one person he felt most comfortable showing his emotional side to.

"You're crap is in the biolab," Rouge called down the corridor after him, and he stopped when he realized that she wasn't following him. He turned to see her wave once, a dry grin on her face. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she understood this as a question. "I can't hang out today, sorry. Got a top secret mission later on."

"What, do you have to search for Knuckles' dirty laundry, or something?"

Shadow bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at Rouge's suddenly pink face. She gave him another death glare, the second one in five minutes, and folded her arms across her ample chest. "Screw you, Shadow. Knuckles does his _own_ laundry. For God's sake, I'm not a housewife. I've got a top secret mission for _GUN_ today, stupid."

Shadow shrugged and turned away from her, raising a hand in farewell. "Whatever. I'll see you."

Rouge huffed and turned on a heel. She stormed to the space station's ship bay, acting used and underappreciated and overly dramatic because she knew that Shadow was monitoring her via his telepathic abilities and she knew he'd be amused by her actions. In reality she was extremely grateful for the bond she had with Shadow. He'd been her trusted partner for over ten years, and along with Omega they had made the best team this side of the universe. Big Blue, Fluffy and Knucklehead couldn't even compare. Aside from that, he'd been the only one she'd told about her secret relationship with said Knucklehead, and if she hadn't had him to talk to she probably would have gone crazy. And if there was one thing she could say about Shadow, it was that he was a terrific listener.

As Rouge was checking her ship for anything that would make going back to Mobius dangerous the small violet cellphone on her hip began to vibrate. Without checking the Caller ID she flipped the phone open and stuck it to her ear. "This is Rouge, at your service."

She listened to the frantic voice on the other side of the phone for a moment, her heart slowly dropping into her stomach. She stopped checking her ship for leaks and simply leaned against it, her attention completely focused on the voice. Vaguely she noticed that Shadow had suddenly appeared beside her and was staring at her and the phone with a startlingly fierce expression. She ignored him until the call ended, and the second she closed her phone Shadow asked, "What happened?"

Rouge stared at him for a moment, wondering how he would take the news. He and the annoying pink hedgehog had gotten along strangely well considering that personality-wise they were polar opposites. As soon as Amy's image came to her mind Shadow's eyes flashed dangerously, and Rouge sighed wearily.

"I think you need to come back to Mobius with me, Shadow. It's Amy."

* * *

A/N: Despite what it sounds like, I assure you this story isn't entirely about Amy. As I mentioned before, it's a little bit about all the in-game characters of the Sonic Universe.


	2. Looming

Many thanks to those that have read, reviewed and/or added this story to their Faves/Alerts. It would be cool if I had gotten more reviews on the first chapter (a grand total of one), but it's just nice to know that there are people out there who are reading this. A special thanks to CherrleTheChicken, my awesome first reviewer! Glad you enjoyed the first installment and I hope the second doesn't disappoint!

Disclaimer: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. In other words, I own nothing but the storyline and any original characters.

* * *

Chapter Two: Looming

* * *

"… And this is the Mystic Ruins, Amy. This is where one of my workshops is located." The three of them had just stepped off of the tower that held the railroad up, and Amy was looking around at the mountainous region with awe. In the distance a crew of miners was chipping away at part of the rock close to the waterfall. One of them was carrying something that looked to Sonic like a silver Chao egg. At Tails' words Amy tore her gaze away from the scenery and gave the fox a wide-eyed expression of surprise.

"You have more than one workshop, Tails?"

"Yep, he does," Sonic chimed in, and without thinking squeezed between the two of them and draped an arm over either of their shoulders. "You see, our buddy Tails here is loaded. The richest of the rich. Bill Gates' fortune is pocket change compared to what Tails has." He chuckled and glanced at Amy. Her face was slightly pink and she appeared to be leaning away from him. Realizing his mistake Sonic quickly dropped his arm away from her. "My bad. Habits die hard."

Amy shook her head, though whether she was excusing his behavior or clearing her head was unknown and looked at Tails again. "I would never have guessed, Tails. Your apartment is so tiny."

"It's not _tiny_, it's snug," Tails replied, sniffing indignantly at the word. Sonic stifled a laugh as the fox continued, "And anyway, I try not to blow my… My _prosperity_ out of proportion. Sonic is exaggerating; Mr. Gates is much more successful than I am. I'm just a tinkerer, nothing more."

Sonic scoffed and patted Tails on the back. "C'mon, bud, don't be too humble. Tails isn't just a tinkerer; he's taught several different subjects at the college level, including Advanced Engineering Mathematics and Combustion Theory. He's gotten five master's degrees in eight years. Oh yeah, and he invented the time machine. Sweet, huh?"

It was Tails' turn to turn red. Amy was looking at him with the oddest combination of terror and admiration Sonic had ever seen, and this time he was unable to keep himself from laughing out loud. Tails, extremely embarrassed, swatted the hedgehog on the arm and marched ahead toward his workshop. Amy joined in the laughter, and for a moment Sonic could believe that everything had gone back to normal. The three of them were enjoying another lazy afternoon together like they used to, and maybe later they would go to Twinkle Park.

"Sonic! Did you leave the Highwind out all day?"

Sonic winced at the voice, trotting the rest of the way up the ramp to Tails' workshop. Standing before his small blue and white spaceship with his hands on hips, Tails raised an eyebrow sternly and waited for Sonic's response. Sighing, Tails turned and wiped at a smudge of oil on the side of the ship. "Sonic, we've been over this. You know you have to put things up after you use them. Look, you didn't even close the hatch!"

"Sorry," Sonic mumbled, hanging his head even as he grinned sheepishly to himself. Tails was very much like a mother hen sometimes.

Walking up behind Sonic, Amy gasped as she caught sight of the ship. "Did you make that, Tails?"

Tails laughed nervously and shrugged, scuffing his sneaker in the dirt. "Yeah, I did. It's powered by an old Chaos Emerald replica I had lying around, so it doesn't discharge any harmful substances." Tails pressed a button inside the cockpit and the hood popped open, revealing the replica. The Chaos Emerald replica emitted a soft but strong glow, and Amy gasped when she saw it.

"This is incredible," Amy breathed, and Sonic and Tails shared a soft grin over her head. Their expressions grew cold when she continued, "I've never seen a Chaos Emerald up close before. I suppose this is as close as I'll ever get, hmm?"

It hit Sonic again; the fact that Amy didn't remember any of their previous adventures together. In truth she had been close enough to both touch and hold the Chaos Emeralds several times before, but he didn't think he had the strength to tell her so. One look at Tails' downcast expression told him that the fox felt the same way, and Sonic turned his face away from both of them. He didn't think he'd ever get used to this horribly helpless feeling.

Amy glanced away from the Chaos Emerald replica to see Sonic turn away from her. Alarmed at his expression she turned to Tails and was met with the same look. Slowly she realized that they must be thinking about the way she used to be, and the fact that she had hurt them this deeply made her feel bad even though it wasn't technically her fault. Determined to cheer them up she stood upright and clapped her hands together. "Hey, why don't we get ready for the meeting tonight, hmm? C'mon, we can't be good hosts without food!" The two of them turned back to her and she smiled her widest smile. At least she'd gotten their attention. Suddenly she gasped and turned to the other hedgehog. "Hey, Sonic! How about I make banana cream pie for desert? I know it's your favorite!"

Tails caught on first. "Amy! You remembered Sonic's favorite desert! Does that mean—" The yellow fox caught himself when he noticed that Amy wasn't smiling anymore. She was looking down at the ground with bewilderment, her right hand clasped over her chest. She shook her head slowly, and Sonic and Tails sighed simultaneously.

"I'm sorry, guys," Amy moaned, covering her face with her hands. In a muffled voice, she continued. "I don't know why, but I can only remember small details about everything. I remembered Station Square, so that's where I decided I'd come back to and see if I could find anyone I know. And I don't know either of you, but for some reason I know little things about you, too. Like Sonic's desert thing, and the way you fly with your tails. Stupid, meaningless details. I'm so sorry…"

Sonic and Tails exchanged glances, and then Tails moved forward, placing a consoling hand on Amy's arm. "But Amy, they _aren't_ stupid or meaningless. Don't you see? This could be a sign that your memory is coming back on its own. Maybe we won't have to ask for everyone's help after all." Amy dropped her hands a little and looked at Tails, who smiled and patted her back. "It's a good thing."

Amy lowered her hands completely and smiled slightly at Tails, though it was obvious that she didn't believe him. "Alright, then. No more moping around. Dinner isn't going to cook itself, you know!" And with that she was moving toward the house without waiting for either of them to follow her. As soon as she was out of sight Sonic leaned against the Highwind and cursed, earning himself a dirty look from Tails.

"Are you just going to stand around and cuss all day or are you going to help me put the Highwind back in the workshop like you were supposed to two hours ago?"

Sonic laughed wearily and motioned for Tails to calm down. "Take it easy, alright? I'll help, don't worry." Tails at least looked placated with that answer, and together they began pushing the tiny spaceship toward the workshop.

* * *

All was still at Chaotix, Inc., just the way Vector the Crocodile liked it. The large green reptile leaned back in his office chair and propped his feet up on his desk, sighing contentedly. Ever since the Chaotix had become a proper business three years ago they had had a steady stream of customers looking to hire a team of highly praised private detectives such as themselves. _Okay_, Vector thought, shrugging his shoulders, _so maybe we haven't had a _steady _stream of customers, but business has definitely picked up. I don't think Big Red would have come back if it hadn't_.

Big Red was of course their codename for Knuckles. They all had aliases for when they did detective work, blessed upon them by Charmy Bee: Vector was the Green Guy, Charmy was Pinstripe Pete and Espio was Pinky. Vector personally thought he and Knuckles had garnered the better names; Charmy's nickname for Espio was downright insulting, though Espio paid it no mind. If the insect had tried to call Vector "Greenie" he was sure he would have tossed the kid through a wall.

Vector shook his head slightly to clear his mind. _Why am I even thinking about this when I could be sleeping?_ He turned the volume up on his earphones and tucked his arms behind his head. _God knows I won't be able to nap once that darned kid gets home from school. Better use my time wisely._

A knock roused the crocodile from his thoughts. Growling slightly, he pulled his headphones down around his neck and called, "Come in, it's open." He was expecting another customer, possibly a distraught wife who wanted them to figure out if her husband's late nights out were the result of a secret affair. What he did not expect to see was the face of the hedgehog he hadn't seen in a year. "Shadow, my man! What are you doing here?"

Shadow didn't respond, which was usually the only response you got from him. The hedgehog moved across the office rapidly, stopping directly before Vector's desk. "I want in."

"Say what?"

Shadow's crimson eyes bore into the reptile like lasers, and for the first time Vector realized that Shadow was angry. More than that; he was _seething_ with rage. "The Chaotix, Vector. I want in. You know I'm more than qualified."

A flash of white at the hedgehog's side caught Vector's attention, and as soon as he recognized the figure he snarled low in his throat. "Hey, Bat Girl. What do you get out of this, hmm?"

"What? You think I'm getting something out of this little arrangement?" Rouge asked haughtily, eyeing the reptile with distaste as she chuckled. "Wrong. I don't know why Shadow wanted to join this… _business_ when he could have easily come to GUN instead. We have much more to offer than you do."

Vector snapped, "Yeah, like fifty years in prison? If that isn't a rank deal then I'd be checking the bottom of those heels to figure out what small, helpless creature you've crushed to death, because something stinks."

"Ahaha, and the lizard's wit reveals itself," Rouge replied, nudging the carpet with a distasteful look. "Maybe we should take this outside, big boy. Of course, I have my reserves about hitting ladies, but the way I see it you brought it upon yourself."

As Vector stood and began to angrily retort Shadow stepped between them. "That's enough, Rouge." Shadow turned and sent a glare toward the bat, who rolled her eyes and shrugged; she'd been enjoying goading the leader of the Chaotix. Turning back to Vector, he raised an eyebrow. "So, do we have a deal? Am I in?"

"Sure," Vector growled, glaring over Shadow's head at the bat behind him. "Sure, you're in, if you get this _thing_ out of my office."

"Whatever, it stinks in here anyway," Rouge said smoothly, turning on a heel and heading for the door. Before she could get close to it it swung inward, revealing a weary-looking Knuckles. He looked like he'd been beat up pretty badly; a cut over his eye looked like it was just beginning to heal and there were bruises on his arms and torso. Upon seeing him Rouge gasped uncharacteristically, Vector all but forgotten. "Knuckles! My God, what happened to you? Are you alright?"

Knuckles stopped dead in the doorway, wide eyes glancing between the three of them. He almost looked scared, and Shadow realized it was because Rouge's atypical concern for him was likely to raise questions about the pair's so-called rivalry. After all, he was the only one outside of the two of them that knew the entire story of their relationship.

As smoothly as he could manage Shadow nudged Rouge with his arm, who jumped and glanced at him with wide eyes. Her gaze landed upon Vector, and finally she seemed to understand. Turning back to Knuckles with the ugliest glare she could manage, she added, "Not that I care. Now could you move? I have more important things to do." She shoved past him and sauntered down the hallway, sticking her middle finger up high over her shoulder so that they could all see it.

Knuckles glared at her retreating form and shook his head before moving inside the office, slamming the door behind him. "What the hell was she doing here, boss?" Knuckles turned to the two of them, raising his head toward Shadow in greeting. Shadow nodded, silently assessing Knuckles' injuries. The feeling that something evil was heading their way returned to him like a dark cloud, and for the hundredth time since Rouge got the call he wished he was already at Tails'. He'd feel better once he saw that she was safe, for now.

"As far as I know, she only came in to screw with me," Vector grumbled, his anger already ebbing away as he too took note of the cuts and bruises on his employee. "But that doesn't matter anymore. What happened to you, Knuckles? You look like you got scraped up pretty bad. Was the mission that tough?"

Knuckles' eyes darkened and Shadow realized that the danger might be upon them already. The need to be where he was needed most overcame everything else, and he pulled the yellow Chaos Emerald from his spines. "Sorry, Vector, but I have somewhere I need to be. I'll get a hold of you soon." In a flash of light he was gone.

"What in the—"

"VECTOOOOOOR!" The office door slammed open and in flew Charmy Bee. Knuckles ducked as the bee shot over his head, narrowly missing him. Vector was not as fortunate and Charmy crashed into his torso and the two of them ended up on the floor in a heap, tangled with the now broken remains of the office chair.

For a moment the office was as quiet as it had been before Shadow and Rouge had arrived. Then, all hell broke loose as Vector began to scream.

"CHARMY, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING FLYING AROUND LIKE A DAMNED IDIOT? I'VE TOLD YOU OVER AND OVER NOT TO GO AROUND SCREAMING YOUR HEAD OFF INSIDE THE BUILDING! IT'S BAD FOR BUSINESS!"

Charmy cowered in the corner as Vector stood over him, blatantly breaking his own rule and not giving a damn. Knuckles himself had backed away to the other side of the office, regarding Vector with a kind of trained indifference. Truth be told, he actually felt bad for the young bee, but he had learned long ago that sticking up for Charmy didn't earn him any points with his superior and was likely to lead to a brawl more often than not. He had tried to tell the kid that being just a little calmer would dramatically improve his relationship with Vector, but his warning had fallen on deaf ears. Charmy was just too high-strung.

By this time Charmy had begun to cry, and in a slightly lower voice Vector said, "Damn it, Charmy, stop that. You're ten years old, for crying out loud. You gonna be a baby your whole life?"

Instantly and in an incredibly comical manner the waterworks stopped and Charmy was on his feet, sticking his bottom lip out at Vector. "Aww, c'mon Vec, you know I'm fourteen! I'm not a baby! Maybe if you didn't yell all the time I wouldn't cry anymore!"

Vector seemed poised on the edge, mentally debating whether or not to sink his teeth into the insect or just let it go. After taking a few calming breaths the reptile folded his hands over his chest and stared down his long nose at Charmy. "Whatever. What did you want, anyhow? I'm very busy."

His words seemed to remind Charmy of something incredibly important, because instantly the bee was flying again, buzzing round and round Vector's head while talking so fast that it was impossible to understand him. After enduring a few moments of this Vector snatched the bee out of the air and held him up by his leg. "Okay, NOW tell me what was so important that you had to burst in here and ruin my chair."

Charmy blinked momentarily, like he had a little trouble adjusting to seeing the office upside down and then began to talk again, blessedly slower. "Oh, Espio told me that we're invited to a meeting out in the Mystic Ruins! Sonic and Tails said to be there. Something about Amy having ammonia."

"_Amnesia_, Charmy," Knuckles corrected, moving toward the pair.

Vector glanced at the echidna. "You know about this, Knuckles?"

Charmy began to squirm in Vector's grip as Knuckles explained the call he'd gotten from Tails. Halfway through his account Espio entered the office, but the others didn't notice him until Knuckles' story had ended. As soon as they saw him they realized that Espio looked almost as worse for wear as Knuckles did.

"What on Mobius happened to you two?" Vector asked, having moved one of the chairs reserved for the clients behind his desk in lieu of his broken office chair. He had long ago released Charmy, who had busied himself in the corner by trying and pretty much failing to put Vector's beloved chair back together. Knuckles and Espio stood before the desk, and the two of them exchanged glances before turning back to their superior.

"Not now," Espio muttered in a low voice, his cautious saffron-colored eyes darting around the small office. "Later, when I'm sure we can't be overheard."

"But-! Knuckles, then. Tell me what happened." Knuckles was silent as well, looking down at the carpet below his feet. Vector cursed under his breath, eliciting a cry of offense from the insect in the corner, and then continued. "Fine then, later. But for now we have to worry about this meeting. Espio, I want you to call our clients for this week and next week and tell them that something's come up. If they complain, tell them to take it to GUN." Vector grunted as Espio nodded and left the office, and then turned to Knuckles. "I want _you_ to—"

"Actually, Sonic wants me to do something for him before I come to the meeting, so I'll be booked the rest of the day," Knuckles interrupted, a sly smile on his face as he backed away from the desk. "Sorry, boss." With that he was gone as well, leaving only Vector and Charmy.

The crocodile sighed and put his head in his hands. "Why are all my subordinates idiots…?"

"Hey, you don't mean me, too, do you?" Charmy's voice piped up from the corner of the office. Vector sighed again and turned his headphones up to drown out the insect's protests. He hoped that Amy's affliction would not last very long. This whole business seemed like way too much trouble.

* * *

A/N: This chapter introduces Team Chaotix as well as the rivalry the agency has with GUN and, subsequently, Rouge. That's one of the main reasons why she and Knuckles have been keeping their relationship a secret. And yes, both Shadow and Knuckles are part of the Chaotix now. Wonder who will be introduced in the next chapter? Thanks for reading! And, if you have the time and/or the patience, please leave me a little review.


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